Britain frustrated by slow pace of Brexit talks: finance minister

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Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, arrives at the conference centre for the Conservative Party Conference, in Manchester, Britain October 1, 2017.

MANCHESTER, England - Prime Minister Theresa May’s top ministers are all frustrated by the slow pace of Brexit negotiations, but her team owes her its loyalty as she negotiates Britain’s departure from the European Union, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Monday.

At the Conservative Party’s conference in Manchester, northern England, Hammond played down the importance of four new red lines set down by foreign minister Boris Johnson in a British newspaper that underlined the rifts in cabinet.

“We’re all frustrated by the slow progress that we’ve made over the last few months with the European Union negotiations, that’s why the prime minister went to Florence 10 days ago and made a key speech which was designed specifically to unstick the logjam in the negotiations and move them forward,” he told ITV television.

“Boris’ position on these issues are well known. I back the prime minister in what is a very complex and delicate negotiation with our European Union partners to deliver Britain’s exit in the way the British people have mandated us to do.”

Prime Minister Theresa May’s top ministers are all frustrated by the slow pace of Brexit negotiations, but her team owes her its loyalty as she negotiates Britain’s departure from the European Union, finance minister Philip Hammond said on Monday.